Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful.  I'm normally a thankful person, but today I'm especially thankful.  Right now I'm sitting in the TV room at my Dad's house with my hubby, my brother and sister-in-law, my sister and brother-in-law, and my little sister......and all the kids (8) are sleeping!  
It was a great thanksgiving day.  Lots of food, visiting, taking pictures, and kid chaos.  I think I'm a sucker for chaos.  That's the only explanation I have for actually wanting more children.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Fall pictures

Because I've been a bad blogger lately, here are some cute pictures to make up for it....






Monday, November 12, 2007

Are you kidding me?

What has happened to my brain?
It's 5:00, time to start dinner. I preheat the oven, put the enchiladas in, go about being Mom. Go back to check on enchiladas in 30 minutes and realize....I never put them in the oven!!!!! Dinner will be ready in about 45 more minutes kids (at least the oven is preheated).
It's a good thing I love my kids as fiercely as I do because they've taken away my brain and given me a tummy that looks like a pug face.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Brennan's 1st day of Preschool



Summer is officially over for the Clements. Brennan started back to preschool today. He's going to the same school he was at last year, Johnny Appleseed, but this year he'll be there 3 mornings a week. After dropping him off and driving away I had a funny memory. The church, where B's preschool resides, has a large sign out on their lawn. Well, when Tyler and I were dating in college he lived in an apartment near that church. We used to go for walks and end up sitting on that sign, late at night, talking. Who would have thought that we'd end up living in that town with a child going to school in that church....amazing!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Charlotte is 4 months

Little Miss Charlotte is now 4 months old. I have officially stopped counting weeks and have moved onto months. After awhile it just gets to confusing! She had a Dr's appointment this morning and here are her stats...
weight: 15lbs 11oz, she's in the 88%
height: 26in, she's in the 96%

She's nowhere near where her brothers were at this age but she's still tall! She is such a good baby. If she's not sleeping or eating she's smiling or babbling to her brothers.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Saturday, June 23, 2007

A day at the Beach

We had a fun outing yesterday. We packed up half the house and went to the "beach" for the afternoon. Yes, well, it's kind of a man-made beach, but for Kansas that's about as good as it gets. The boys played in the sand and eventually the water, Charlotte worked on her tan and Tyler and I enjoyed not having to discipline kids for a couple hours. I also found out if I just put dinner out on a blanket and tell them to use their hands they'll actually eat! It really was a fun afternoon, we'll be doing it again soon.





Monday, June 18, 2007

Ode to Tyler



Happy Fathers Day! My kids have been blessed by, quite possibly, the best daddy on the planet. Here are the top 10 reasons why Tyler is such a great dad.....
10. He has more patience in his big toe than I have in my whole body.
9. He makes great truck noises (way better than mine!).
8. He'll let Brennan play drums while he plays electric guitar (when all he wants is a little practice time on the drums).
7. Even when it's an hour past bedtime he'll still say "yes" when Brennan wants to read the longest kid book we have.
6. He's never shyed away from a poopy diaper.
5. He lets the boys wear whatever they want when he's dressing them (even if it means staying in PJ's).
4. He stays home with the kids so I can grocery shop BY MYSELF!!!
3. He'll let the boys "help" him mow the lawn even though it takes an hour longer.
2. He makes up funny songs with their names.
1. Every morning when our kids wake up they know they'll walk into the kitchen and see their daddy with a cup of coffee and his bible. "And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Col 3:17

I love you baby. Thanks for all you do.

Charlotte is 6 weeks old

Miss Charlotte is now 6 weeks old. She's a great sleeper (7-8 hours at night!), she's a great eater (nurses about 6 times a day), and for the most part is very content. She's beginning to flash us a stunning smile, complete with double dimples. Her brothers still love her dearly, they prefer to be about 4 inches from her as often as possible. She gets poked and prodded often, but takes it in stride. Every morning when Calvin wakes up he asks
"where's Charlotte Ruth?". And Brennan gives her at least 25 kisses on the head a day. I guess that's why I'm always finding ketchup, banana, crumbs, etc in her hair...that's definetly a 3rd child thing. She's a keeper!





Thursday, May 24, 2007

Great Quote

No, please don't think I'm spending any time reading these days. The closest I get to reading is my mail. Anyway, I read this book awhile ago and just came across this line again. It's really challenging the way I think.

“We fear so deeply what we think other people see in us, so we talk in order to straighten out their understanding…one of the fruits of silence is the freedom to let our justification rest entirely with God.”
- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

A week of firsts

Here are some pictures from the 1st 2 weeks of Charlottes life. She's a very good baby. She's eating well and sleeping well, what more can you ask from a newborn?

Charlotte at one week old
First bath time
First trip to church

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

ahhhhhh...naptime

I don't know what I've done to deserve this. I have a 4 year old, 2 year old and a 7 day old and all of them are sleeping at the same time right now. I'm looking at that last sentence wondering what in the world I'm doing on the computer...I'm going to take a nap!!!!!!!
see ya...

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Miss Charlotte Ruth

Well, here she is. We're sorry it's taken so long to get pictures out. There just seems to be no extra time lying around anymore...hmmmm, I wonder why?!?
Charlotte was born on May 2nd at 1:49pm. She was 8lbs 11oz and 3 weeks early. We think she's tiny compared to the boys, although some think she's a big girl. She is named for her great great grandma Charlotte and her great grandma, grandma and aunt all have the middle name of Ruth...not to mention a very faithful woman in the bible.
Brennan and Calvin love her and it's been so fun to watch them take such a genuine interest in her. I do think one of the best gifts we can give our kids is a sibling to love and be loved by.
Enjoy our sweet girl and we promise to do better at posting pictures and writing about her and her brothers. You can also check out Tyler's blog for more pictures...tylerclements.blogspot.com






Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Friday, April 20, 2007

Wow, it's been awhile!

Sorry about the update drought. Life got a little crazy and I'm not about to pick up where I left off. So here's the latest....

I had a sonogram yesterday and get this......the baby is already 8 pounds!! No wonder I look and feel the way I do. If I were to go full term (4 more weeks) the baby would probably be at least 12 pounds. No one, especialy me, is going to let that happen. When I see my Dr on Monday we'll probably set an induction date about 2 weeks from now. The hardest part of this decision is that Brennan's birthday is May 1st and I'd like as much space in between as possible. I had a bit of a breakdown yesterday as I left the Dr. I'm obviously scared about having a 12 pound baby but I also realized I'm not ready for the baby to come early. So we went into panic mode last night and we're trying to get everything ready. I think I've been a little too laid back about this baby...time to get to work!
I've posted a few pictures of my belly. Beware, they may scare small children! I don't think my skin can stretch any further. Most of the day I feel like I'm about to fall over forward.
We took the boys to get their hair cut this morning. I've never thought they looked that much alike, but now I think they do. Calvin's hair cut made him look about 10 pounds thinner, which of course makes him look older. He's starting to loose the baby chub. Enjoy!



Wednesday, March 7, 2007

my best friend

Wow, sorry it's been so long since my last entry. My life is not normally all that busy. I spend a lot of time just hanging out with my boys. BUT, the countdown is on and we move in 8 days!! I've been spending as much time as possible painting at the new house, and packing here at home. My last pregnancy blood tests also found that I'm anemic and my blood platelets are low. Which means I'm even more exhausted than normal! I see a hematologist on Friday to find out more. Anyway, here's a cute story from yesterday.....

I was trying to get the boys down for their afternoon naps and Brennan wouldn't leave Calvin's room. I had asked him to go to his room several times while I was changing Cal's diaper, etc, but he was still hanging around. Finally I laid Cal down and grabbed Brennan's hand to pull him out and he said "but mom, he's my best friend, I want to stay here." Ahhhhhhhh

Friday, February 16, 2007

jenny


Jenny passed away last night. She slipped into a coma yesterday morning and went to be with Jesus around 9:00 last night. Pray for her family. In the picture above (left to right) Josh, Isaac, Hannah, Jenny holding Gabriel, and Sarah Grace. I can't even imagine the things she must know now and what it must be like to look upon the face of God. She will be greatly missed on earth though!

Thursday, February 15, 2007

my sweet friend Jenny

I have a good friend, Jenny, in Tennessee who is battling stage 4 ovarian cancer. Today she is teetering between life on earth and eternal life with Jesus. Please pray for her, her husband Josh, and their 4 young kids Hannah, Isaac, Sarah Grace, and Gabriel. Tomorrow night there will be a benefit concert and silent auction in her honor. If you interested in learning more about her story or helping out, go to...
www.jennycarlisle.com
You can also visit her Caring Bridge website here.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Calvin's 1st haircut

Yes, I realize that he's almost 2 (Sunday!) but, this was his first official haircut. He pulled off the rock star look so well that we just left it for 2 yrs. The baby curls are gone, but I have a feeling they'll be back this summer :)



Before....






During....


After!

Monday, February 12, 2007

pictures from January

Playing in the snow
Eating snow





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Tuesday, February 6, 2007

my "little" Cal

Today Calvin had his 2 year old well-child checkup (he turns 2 on the 18th).
And get this.....
Calvin is in the 100% for both his height and his weight!!
Isn't that hilarious?!? He's 39lbs and 3 feet 2 inches tall. People are always commenting on how big he is and he's definitely taller than all the kids his age, but I really didn't think he'd be that high on the scale. It's not like he's ever been "small", considering he was 10lbs at birth I guess I shouldn't be surprised. That's what you get when your daddy is 6'3'' (my family is pretty tall too). It was good to hear that his height and weight are perfectly proportionate. With everyone always commenting on how "big" he is, I often wondered if I needed to be more concerned about his diet. But his doctor reassured me that his weight is perfect for his height.

I'm amazed at the difference between the development of my 2 kids. I'm sure all of you out there with more than one child are not surprised. When Brennan was 2 he was physically well ahead on the development scale. He could run, jump, climb, etc but he didn't talk much at all. In fact I think he only had about 10 words, and wasn't stringing them together. But Calvin, although still quite uncoordinated can talk a mile a minute. This morning when I went to get him out of bed he said something like this "out of bed, go see Brennan, get milk and cereal". They have some similar traits, but really they couldn't be more different.

Sunday, February 4, 2007

church mice

I just got the boys in bed and I'm exhausted! We've had a busy weekend and I can tell they're spent too. I was wandering why they seemed a little extra cranky tonight and then realized my boys have been at church, literally, all week...

Wed night (2.5 hrs)
Thurs morning (2.5 hrs)
Fri night (3 hrs)
Sat morning (3 hrs)
Sun morning (3 hrs) and night (3 hrs)

So this is what life is like for kids who's parent(s) work in a church. Some of these times were just participating in the life of the church, others were times we were hanging out with the youth group. I'm not really complaining, and either are they (in fact, tonight they both cried because they didn't want to leave). Of all the places for my kids to spend a lot of time...I'd definitely choose our church. Within those hours they spent at the church, they were loved on by people who love the Lord, they learned about what it looks like to follow Jesus, they played basketball with high school kids, they got chased around by college kids, they read the bible, they learned to share toys and sit and listen to teachers. They spent about 22 hours finding out what it means to find JOY in doing that which pleases God...what more could I ask for?!?!
I do think that tomorrow we'll stay away from Grace EPC (and try to make Tyler do the same)!

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

pretty normal stuff

Well, I'm only a few days into this blogging thing and I'm already feeling the guilt because I've not posted recently. I guess I'm waiting for something profound to write about and it's just not happening. So I shall write about what's normal around here.

Brennan went to pre-school this morning. I really have no idea what he does there. He tells me very little of what goes on in the classroom. Of course I know what his teachers tell me, but I'd love to hear something from his point of view. Today he got to bring home the "surprise box". He will take it back on Thursday with a "surprise" inside it. We will write 3 clues on top and his friends will have to guess what's inside. When he got home he was having a tough time deciding whether to put his drum sticks or his tractor inside. The drum sticks didn't fit, so the tractor won. So here's the conversation we had about the "surprise box"....

Me: So Brennan what have some of your friends put in the surprise box?
B: tractors
Me: Oh really, did Aiden put a tractor in his box?
B: no, he put a sandwich in it (this is what B was eating at the time)
Me: really?
B: no, he put Calvin in the box (Cal was sitting across the table from us)
Me: You're being silly, tell me for real, what do others put in the box?
B: their toes

So, you see, this is the kind of info I get about school. I'm pretty sure he makes it all up. At least he's got an imagination.
Calvin and I stayed home and cleaned house this morning. Ever since selling our house a couple weeks ago I've been on a cleaning sabbatical. I was so sick of having to keep it clean and picked up just in case someone called for a showing. But at last, things were beginning to get pretty fowl. Although, I do have to say when you know you'll be moving out in 6 weeks it makes it awfully hard to clean thoroughly....oh well.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Pictures from Marie and Brian's wedding


This picture cracks me up. There is no way we could have all planned to be pregnant at the same time (and believe me, 3 out of 5 were not planning!). But here we are, Brea (due in June), myself (due May 22), Julie (due May 14), Holly (due May 1) and Ginny had baby Liliana on Monday! I love it!
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more wedding pics


Grandpa Walt and Calvin. Cal is obviously thinking very serious thoughts.
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wedding pics


Here are a few pic's from Aunt Marie and Uncle Sully's wedding. Aren't they handsome in their tuxedos?
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it's about time

Well, I've finally done it. I've joined the world of blogging. I've long been a fan of blogs, but I've never taken the plunge myself. Writing is bittersweet for me. With a degree in Journalism, one would assume I enjoy writing, and I do. It's just that there's a lot of pressure that comes with that joy. First, I can not spell worth a darn. Second, I care way to much about what people think of me. So when I write, I'm always wondering how I'm being perceived. So by publishing my thoughts on this world wide web I am facing my fears. I will write and not care what people might think...gasp!! That is in theory of course.
No really, I'm starting this blog as a sort of journal for myself and for others who might care what happens in my home (at least I hope my mom will read it). A traditional "journal" hasn't been working well for me. If I sat on my comfy couch right now with a journal and pen I have no doubt I would fall asleep. So I'm better off sitting at an uncomfortable desk with plenty of distractions. I am married with 2 small boys and another baby on the way....sleep is my greatest temptation right now. So here goes nothin'...